1. Field
One or more embodiments relate to a substrate holder and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (such as a thin film deposition apparatus) including the substrate holder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the line width of semiconductor circuits has been decreased to twenty or twenty-plus nanometers (nm), and thus, it is necessary to deposit very thin films on silicon substrates and tighten the conditions for thin film deposition processes. In addition, it is necessary to increase the throughput of systems or processes to realize commercial mass production.
Deposition reactors having various shapes and configurations have been developed to obtain high throughput. For example, batch type reactors capable of accommodating several tens of substrates and semi-bath type reactors capable of accommodating at least two substrates in a horizontal direction have been developed. Semi-batch type reactors have been improved in various ways. Examples of such semi-batch type reactors include space-division type reactors and multiple reactor apparatuses. In the case of space-division type reactors, a plurality of substrates are placed on a substrate holder such as a susceptor and thin films are deposited on the substrates while the substrate holder is being rotated. In the case of multiple reactor apparatuses, a plurality of individual reactors are arranged in a vacuum chamber.
Multiple reactor apparatuses allow relatively precise process control of individual substrates and a plurality of substrates can be processes at the same time. Thus, multiple reactor apparatuses have been recently widely used in processes of manufacturing highly integrated devices.
However, gas leakage that occurs when multiple reactor apparatuses are used leads to various problems during processes performed in the multiple reactor apparatuses. For example, the supply of sources and reaction gases to substrates may be disturbed, and thus, processes may be negatively affected. In addition, corrosion of outer chamber components and a decrease in the lifespan of process equipment may occur.
The inventor has found that a top lid of an outer chamber is one of the factors causing a gas leakage. For example, the upper portion of an outer chamber in which bodies of individual reactors are arranged may be deformed by the weight of a top lid of the outer chamber, and this deformation may have a negative influence on processes and the structures of the individual reactors.